Incoming Dragons!

Not one, but two fascinating dragon postcards from thesnailmailer in reply to my Year of the Dragon packet. These cards were created by the Foreign Languages Press Beijing China but mailed in the US with the beautiful Lunar New Year stamps. Many thanks!

Year of the Dragon

I mailed out my Lunar New Year mail art projects today with the new dragon stamps. I don't want to give too much away, but I packaged most of my mysterious bundles in my favorite PaperSource envelopes, made from "Slow Boat to China" paper. Luckily, I completed most of these packets before all my postal activities last week commenced.

The project itself was inspired by and a homage to Nick Bantock, perhaps my favorite contemporary mixed media artist. His famous Griffin and Sabine books were my first exposure to mail-as-art. My favorite book of his is "The Museum at Purgatory." His juxtaposition of fact and fiction, the actual and the altered, always intrigues me. He creates worlds with such detail, you fall under their spell, and you can no longer separate real from imagined, nor do you want to. That is true artistry.

Beauty Received in Error

A few days ago I found two postcards from China in my mailbox. I was in a hurry as I leafed through the mail and assumed they were both Postcrossing. I put them aside with the Good Mail to register later that evening. When I finally had a chance to enjoy my mail, I realized this Chinese New Year card wasn't meant for me. It was from China but was intended for a woman in New York.

I put it back in my mailbox the following day, but I had to scan the beautiful image and postage stamps before letting them go back into the world. I hope by now they have arrived to the addressee. I wonder if any of my cards have ever been misdelivered, and what became of them? I wish I could let the sender of this card know that it brightened my day before continuing its journey.

Hooray for Mail Art!

My dad sent me mail art!
He painted this watercolor while taking a short vacation
in Ocean City, New Jersey.

I am replying with this fashionably altered vintage card
showing the Pennsylvania Railroad Horse Shoe Curve.
For more railroad fun, check out this amazing video:
Maple Mountain Sunburst Triolian Orchestra - The Age Of Steam

A beautiful drawing of a Xiamen University building from China
via Postcrossing.

My reply to China. The cool of autumn is beginning to creep in,
and I had my first cup of hot tea today!

Old Outgoing Postcards

Re-purposed book cover postcard sent to Finland via Postcrossing
18 May 2011

Vintage airmail stamp collage sent to China direct swap
31 May 2011

Wine label and map collage card sent to Send Me A Million Postcards
7 June 2011
(I hope this project continues though the website has gone missing.
Does anyone have any information?)

Vintage linen card collage sent to Nadine of IUOMA
20 June 2011